Indian Pudding

K has to give a speech in history this fall for our co-op. Since her assigned date is close to Thanksgiving, we chose to have her present some information regarding the first Thanksgiving as opposed to modern-day Thanksgiving. She will be focusing on food, so we chose to cook a dish which could have been served during the original feast.

After searching the web and a few colonial cook-books, we settled on Indian pudding. This would have probably been what they ate for dessert instead of the traditional pumpkin pie. We found a basic recipe to try this rainy afternoon, and it just came out of the oven.

My thoughts on the dish are that it tastes basic and earthy in a good way. The two main flavors are cornmeal and molasses, with no added spices (those would be added by the colonists later in the 1700s).

Indian Pudding -- Not much to look at

 K qualified her opinion of it by stating, "They didn't have much back then." She seems to understand that they didn't even have what we would consider the basics. I am not sure the kids in her class will appreciate the taste. K is unsure of it, but AJ likes it. As for me, I think it is fun to taste something the pilgrims could have shared with the Wampanoag people during that historic time.

Peach Preserves



My first batch of peach jam

My in-laws recently visited and brought us about 20 lbs of peaches. I love fresh peaches, and I was drooling over these. However, our family can only eat so many before they start to go bad. I have always wanted to try my hand at making preserves, but I was always intimidated by the process. With so many peaches, I decided it was now or never.

I knew I needed jars, pectin, and some basic tools, so I took advantage of a rare solo trip to WallyWorld to peruse their selection of canning supplies. Fortunately, a nice older lady shopped nearby and willingly answered some of my questions. She was so sweet, and I came home with everything I needed to get started.







My second batch of jam included vanilla,
organic agave nectar, cinnamon, and cloves

My first batch of peach jam tasted so good that my jam-detesting daughter devoured almost a whole jar with the help of her brothers right off the bat. I had doubled the recipe but forgot to double the pectin, so it was thin. That didn't stop my kids from indulging. They finished all four jars within the week. My next batch was proportioned correctly, and they helped polish off a jar of that as well.


Processing the jam



My third batch included some frozen organic strawberries I had purchased at half-price with good intentions, but no concrete plans. Given my children's history in jam-eating, I didn't even fully process two of the jars since I knew I could put them in the fridge and finish them before the three-week devour-by date arrived. I was right. I made it today, and the first jar is almost gone.

Strawberry Peach Jam

If I had known how easy the process really is, I would have tried this a long time ago. For now, my family is enjoying Mom's new hobby. Now excuse me, I need to go buy more peaches.

Mommy's Little Helper

K has become quite the little helper. She has volunteered to change dirty diapers, helps mop the floors, and offers to help with dinner. What a blessing to have her around the house.

K and her doll helping measure cream for the Wallenbergare we ate for dinner.



Making pancakes by herself. She measured and mixed the ingredients, then poured the batter on the pan and flipped them.